The Climate is a-Changing

As I write this it is 65 degrees and raining... in mid December. This is not the first warm holiday season I've experienced since I moved to Missouri 16 years ago. Indeed, while living in Michigan I can recall several very green winter holidays. What worries me is extreme weather appears to be the new "norm". Either it is extremely tropical and warm, or we endure a Polar Vortex such as happened two years ago. By this time in 2013 the Springfield Public Schools closed several times due to snow.

And this extreme weather is not reserved for winter. All the other seasons endure droughts, floods, or both within a few months of each other.

The Climate Talks wrapped up in Paris this week with what is called "historic" agreements about how to address the issue of Carbon emissions. The goal is to limit CO2 to 2 degrees Celcious. But that is the temperature. What about CO2 levels in the atmosphere? Currently we are now over 400 PPM of CO2 in the atmosphere. Somewhere I read we may never see CO2 levels below 400 again.

We often hear of the impact this amount of CO2 will have on our environment and how it will change the world around us. Not only will Climate Change affect our ecosystems, it will also impact human health. According to the EPA, increasing temperatures will bring with it heat waves which will cause heat-related deaths. Air quality will decline as temperatures rise. And water quality will decline with an increase in heavier rainfall and flooding.

But how will the increase in CO2 affect our health? How much CO2 will we be able to breath without causing physical harm?

Things are changing in regard to international approaches to Climate Change. As flawed as some may believe this agreement is, at least it is something. At least negotiators left with something...

Yesterday I found Sky Blue Asters blooming in one of my native plant beds. December 12! There are flash floods throughout my neighborhood. Again. Rain that should be snow. Flowers that should be long past blooming time. It's time to put the bickering aside and work together for solutions to this very serious problem.